Searching for property records
in India without travelling.

Where to search

For property in Punjab, the portal is:

www.plrs.org.in

The portal is maintained by the Punjab Government and updated regularly. It provides access to Fard, Jamabandi, mutation records, Roznamcha, and mutation-after-registry data, across all districts and tehsils of Punjab.

If the property is in another Indian state, the equivalent portal is usually maintained by that state's Department of Revenue or Land Records. The general approach described below is the same; the portal names and button labels differ.

How to search — the general steps

The exact screens and button labels may change as the portal is updated. The steps below describe the flow as it stands at the time of writing.

1. Open the portal and choose the record type.
Open www.plrs.org.in in any browser. The homepage presents several services — Fard, Jamabandi, mutation, and others. Choose Fard to begin. The portal serves both English and Punjabi interfaces.

2. Select the district, tehsil, village, and year.
You will be asked to select the district, the tehsil, the village, and the year of the record you wish to see. Choosing the year matters: the record changes as ownership changes, so the most recent year often shows a different picture from an older one.

3. Choose the type of record.
The portal offers several record types — Jamabandi, mutation, Roznamcha (diary reports), and mutation-after-registry. For most purposes, Jamabandi is the correct starting point. It is the record-of-rights maintained by the revenue department and reflects the current ownership position, extent, and cultivation.

4. Choose the search method.
You can search the record by owner name, by Khewat number, by Khasra number, or by Khatauni number. For an NRI without the revenue numbers to hand, searching by owner name is usually the starting point.

5. Enter the owner's name.
Type the name as it appears in the revenue records. The record is usually entered with the father's and grandfather's name — so the spelling and the family details matter. Where there is more than one person of the same name, the additional details help narrow the list.

6. Select the correct owner from the list.
The portal will show a list of matching names, with father's name and grandfather's name alongside. Select the correct entry.

7. Select the revenue numbers and view the report.
Once the owner is selected, the portal shows the revenue numbers associated with that person. Select all that are relevant, enter the captcha, and click View Report.

8. View and download the Jamabandi.
The detailed Jamabandi will appear on screen. It can be downloaded as a PDF or an image for reference. It is for information only, not for legal purposes. A certified copy must be obtained from the concerned Tehsil office of the Revenue Department, on payment of the prescribed fee.

What the Jamabandi tells you

The Jamabandi is the record of rights for the property. It will ordinarily show:

• Ownership. The name of the recorded owner or owners, with father's and grandfather's name.
• Share. The share held by each owner, where the property is jointly held or held in co-ownership.
• Extent and location. The Khasra number, the area of the property, and the nature of the land — agricultural, residential, commercial, or other.
• Cultivation. Where the land is agricultural, the name of the person in cultivating possession.
• Encumbrances. Any mortgage, charge, lease, or other restriction recorded in the revenue records.

This is the most important document to check when you want to know the position of an Indian property. It is the record on which revenue authorities, courts, and even prospective purchasers rely.

What the online record does not tell you

The portal gives you a copy of the record. It does not give you everything you need to know about the property. In particular:

• Physical occupation. The record does not disclose whether someone is occupying the property. A stranger may have been in possession for years while the record still shows you as owner. Physical verification is a separate exercise.
• Encroachment. The record does not disclose whether someone has built on, fenced off, or extended a portion of the property beyond its recorded boundaries. Again, this requires a site visit.
• Unregistered transactions. If a transaction has been agreed but not registered, the record may still reflect the earlier position. Only the registered documents and the revenue records together tell the full story.
• Proceedings and litigation. Court proceedings, attachments, and injunctions may not be reflected in the revenue records. These need to be checked separately.
• Certified status. The online copy is for information only. For any purpose that requires a certified copy — a court proceeding, a sale, or a bank — you need to obtain the certified copy from the Tehsil office.

Why this matters for an NRI

Property in India that is left unwatched for years tends to attract problems. The advantages of checking the record regularly — even if only to confirm that nothing has changed — are these:

• You know the position. The name, the share, the extent, and the type of land are all visible, without the need to travel or instruct an agent.
• You know what the record shows about encumbrances. A mortgage, lease, or restriction recorded in the Jamabandi is visible on the portal.
• You establish a documentary baseline. If a change later appears — a new name, a new mutation — you have the earlier record to compare against.
• You can act early. A problem identified on the record is far easier to address than one that only becomes apparent when you try to sell or develop the property.

A check of the revenue record takes a few minutes and costs nothing. It is a low-effort way to keep watch over what may be a significant family asset.

How Kavao Law can assist

We assist NRIs and foreign property owners with the search and verification of Indian property and land records. Our work typically includes:

• Conducting searches at the revenue office, and obtaining certified copies of the Jamabandi, Fard, Khasra / Girdawari, and mutation entries.
• Conducting physical verification at the property and in the surrounding area — where the recorded position needs to be confirmed against the position on the ground.
• Examining the records for encumbrances, mortgages, and other restrictions on the property.
• Preparing a written search report setting out the location, extent, ownership, share, and status of the property.
• Providing certified English translations of the underlying documents.
• Advising on any legal steps that may be required to protect or recover the property.

For more on this service, see our Property & Land Records practice-area page.

A closing note

The online portal is a useful first step. It tells you what the revenue record says. It does not tell you what the position on the ground is — and it does not replace a certified copy or a physical verification.

Where the property matters to you, the online check should be the beginning of the enquiry, not the end. If the record shows something unexpected, or if you simply want to be certain of the position, a professional search will give you the fuller picture.